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Student regent necessary
At best, the position of student
regent would be an innocuous one.
If the post were created by a
constitutional amendment passed in
the November election, three stu
dents from the NU campuses would
share the title of "regent."
However, the students would have
no vote on board decisions. Except for
their newly bestowed title, they would
have no more clout than the current
student advisory board, which at
tends monthly board meetings and
offers the regents a glimpse of the
student perspective.
The title of student "regent"
though a dubious distinctionprob
ably is worth campaigning for.
According to both Surveys and
hearsay, a provision for a voting
student regent would never, make it
past the polls.
If the pending amendment is
approved in November, the next
step though it might require years
nf rsinlinn vnt(r5. iilrioina from the
Nebraska political climate could be
granting the student regent full
voting status. Only then could he be
an effective mouthpiece for student
causes.
Input is need to persuade voters
that the student regent position is
necessary. One way students can
have that input is to -join ASUN's
Concerned Students for Better Higher
Education Committee. The group is
campaigning for the regent amend
ment, but has been crippled by a lack
of volunteers. , , .
If the amendment is passed, it pro
bably will evoke combined feelings of
minor victory and long-range frustra
tion. How unfortunate that student
rights and responsibilities must be
accrued in the tiniest increments.
Jane Owens
To the students at UNL:
About 50 young 'Americans will be
killed today. Nearly 250 will be
maimed or disfigured.
Not from street drugs or disease,
but from the drug alcohol.
About 50 young persons will die on
Americans highways today. Half or
them because someone was drunk.
Not a 50-year-old drunk. Not someone
with a red nose and pot belly.
Someone like you.
Someone who, just this once, had
too much beer at a kegger or too much
booze at a party. Someone who says,
"I'm fine, I'll drive." Someone who,
just this once, is drunk out of his mind
and behind the wheel of a car.
He might kill his best friend. He
might kill a stranger. Or he just might
kill himself.
Regardless, someone young and
alive is suddenly young and dead.
Nearly 8.000 young Americans are
killed each year in drunk driving
accidents. And thousands more are
scarred and crippled for life.
That's more than in war, more than
from drugs or suicide or disease. And
most are killed by persons their own
age.
In fact, the No. 1 killer of young
Americans is young Americans.
We believe, now that ' you know
these facts, you will want to prevent
this injustice to all who die innocent,
young and sober. You can 4 do
everything to help.
Like what? Like, when you're
making the rounds, have one of the
group volunteer to drink coke and do
the driving. When your roommate
'lets smashed, keep him or her out of
the driver's seat. Even if it's his or
her car.
What else? You can learn your own
alcohol quotient how many drinks
you can have before you're impaired.
That's three drinks if you weigh 160
pounds. And you can know the law. It
is illegal to drive in Nebraska if your
blood alcohol concentration is 0.1 per
cent or more. That's five drinks if you
weigh 160.
The automobile is the greatest
single threat to persons under 30
years old. We want to change that.
We believe you want to change
that, too. Because it's your friends
who are doing the killing. And your
friends who are being killed.
- James Shelley, director
Lincoln Alcohol Safety Action Project
(Editor's note: "Know your limit"
cards showing alcohol capacity by
weight and height are available th
Legal Service Center, Nebraska
Union 335.)
Marvel backs UNL lobbyists
Dear Editor,
I recently read in the September 18
Daily Nebraskan of student efforts to
support the student regents bill. I
wish to commend members of the
University of Nebraska student body
who have formed the Concerned
Citizens . for Higher Education to
lobby for passage on Nov. 5 of the
student regents bill.
As the sponsor of this legislation, I,
too, am deeply committed to the
principles involved in it. Student
input on University policy-making
bodies is absolutely necessary to
insure representation at ail levels.
The advice and criticism that I have
received from students in my years as
a professor has proven to be
invaluable and I feel the populace of
Nebraska will find this to be true if
this legislation is passed. :.
Again, best of luck in working
towards this very worthwhile goal.
Richard D. Marvel, state senator
V. .- - t
Nonvoting regent valid
Editor's note Jim Say is chairman of ASUN's Student
Rights Committee. -By
Jim Say
This November Nebraska voters will consider a
constitutional amendment to seat three University of
Nebraska students on the Board of Regents.
The amendment, first on the ballot, would establish a
non-voting position for the student body presidents of
the Lincoln, Omaha and Medical Center campuses.
The major goal of the student regent amendment is
to provide direct student access to the regents. Almost
all of the regents have attended the University in the
past, but most of them have graduated before or near
the end of World War II.
Since then, the campus has grown and become more
complex yet the regents' physical presence on the
campuses has been limited mainly to meetings,
receptions, guided tours and football games. There
fore they aren't exposed daily to the general attitudes
wnich exist on campus.
Not only are the attitudes of administration, faculty
and staff in danger of being ignored, but also those of
the students. In fact, the student viewpoint should be
considered most important, because the student is the
essential "consumer" of education. If there were no
students, there would be no university.
Throughout the state, the major objection of the
amendment has been its necessity. Students could
compete for the regent post on the regular ballot since
they have been given the 18-year-old voting franchise.
A guaranteed seat, the argument goes, indicates a lack
of initiative to go through regular channels.
Yet this isn't necessarily the case. First, not all
students are old enough to vote in the general public
elections.
Secondly, when a student finally is able to vote, there
is no guarantee of a regent election in his district during
the time he is in college because of the regents' six-year
term.. . v '
Third, some students are non-residents and cannot
vote in the regular regent districts.
Fourth, the advantages of having a student on the
board would inevitably be lost if he served six years. In
order to obtain a direct input benefit during his term,
the student would have to go to graduate school at least
two years if he were elected as a freshman.
ASUN opinion
If the student decided not to go to graduate school,
two problems would arise. First, his student status
would be lost and he would be in a position similar to
that of the other regents. But more importantly, the
graduate would just be starting his new employment,
while most of the other regents have established
positions in their occupations. Therefore, the graduate
would probably find it more advantageous to resign his
post.
Students, nevertheless, have attempted to run for the
, board. In each of the two district seats up for election
this year, a student ran in the primary. Both ran last in
the balloting.
This shows to other disadvantages of using "normal
channels". One, it takes a great deal of money to make
sure your name is known to all. A self-employed person
has a tremendous advantage over the student with
part-time employment who must also pay for, his.
education. .
Two, an outstate student who is attending school
most of the time has little chance to build up a political
base in his home district.
Perhaps the maior student criticism of the
amendment has been the lack of voting power of the
proposed student regent. Yet, given the current
political atmosphere in Nebraska, the non-voting
provision is candidly the only plausible way that a
change may be effected in the Board membership.
Lost spring, a poll was conducted by The Omaha
World-Herald, which showed a tremendous distaste
among voters for the proposal of a voting student
member. Granted, a non-voting membership is
severely limited, but hopes are that after such a
position is established, it may later be give full votino
status if successful.
Campus support of the amendment unfortunately has
had little statewide impact so far as this semester. As a
general statement of student backing, last week the
ASUN senate unanimously endorsed the amendment.
An ad hoc group also has been formed. Sponsored by
ASUN, it meets Thursday at 7:30 in the ASUN office ,
Other efforts by ASUN, such as summer speaking
tours of the state by President Clingenpeel and
research of the Issue by its Legislative Liaison
Committee, need to be supplemented.
A major statewide effort must be launched soon if thf
apprehensive nature of Nebraska's voters is to be
overcome.
Most of the non-student population is simply
issue meets defeat in November, it may very well oe the
fault of students that none of the Regents has a student
.u.
page 4 j
daily nebraskan
friday, September 27, 1974
